Lynette Arblaster and Chef René Bérard in the Kitchen

Chef René Bérard in his Herb Garden at the Bastide des Saveurs

La Cadière d'Azur

Cooking in Provence

15 - 20 April 2012

On all Arblaster & Clarke Tours local food and how it is combined with the wines is important, but on this Gourmet Holiday to France, food takes centre stage! Our new Cooking in Provence tour consists of four days of cooking lessons led by Michelin Starred Chef René Bérard. The tour includes visits to a local winery, olive oil mill, apiculturist and market, as well as five gourmet meals with wines. For us ‘gourmet tours’ do not just mean gastronomic ‘high class’ restaurants, it can equally be excellent fresh local produce prepared in a traditional way. Cooking in Provence is a completely new gourmet cooking holiday for Arblaster & Clarke Wine Tours.

Outline Details

We arrive on Sunday evening in la Cadière-d’Azur; a small medieval French hamlet perched on top of a rolling landscape, above the renowned Bandol Vineyards. This is a quintessentially Provençal village whose winding and narrow flower-filled streets create an unspoilt haven in busy southern France.

Hostellerie Bérard, where we stay, is an eclectic jigsaw of buildings nestled into the hillside and is steeped in history, for example one part was an ancient convent. Another, ‘Les Remparts’, formed ancient battlements. Each room is decorated with an individual style, although the Provençal theme runs naturally through the entire place.

This 3* Hotel has a choice of two restaurants, a Brasserie with beautiful views of the surrounding countryside and an elegant Michelin star Gastronomic Restaurant. There is also a new Thermal Spa, including a relaxation pool and a Hammam, as well as spa treatments available.

Throughout our stay here, the essence of ‘Provence’ is what you experience most, the main reason for this being the cooking course, which is spread over 5 days. The course is led by a Michelin starred chef, René Bérard, and will leave you with a great understanding of the real philosophy that lies behind Provençal Cuisine. Chef Bérard has an enthusiasm to communicate a lifelong passion for food that is truly inspiring. This is a hands-on participatory cooking course and you will be cooking in the kitchen with Chef Bérard creating a new menu each day. Although what you will be cooking depends entirely on what is fresh on the market at the time, here is a sample menu of a few dishes you may be cooking:

Tapenade
Aioli Traditional provencal sauce made of garlic, olive oil, and egg.
Noisettes d’agneau rotie a l’ail vert, en croute de pistache Roasted lamb with garlic and a pistachio crust.
Fougasse à la compôte d’oignons parfumee au laurier Typical provençal flatbread with an onion compote, perfumed with aromatic bay leaf
Râble de lapereau Saddle of rabbit
Barigoule d’Artichauts Violets Blanched Artichokes filled with chopped ham and herbs, wrapped in salt pork fat and braised in white wine
Croustillant au miel d’acacia Acacia Honey Biscuits
Tarte aux pommes caramélisées Caremelised apple tart

The cooking classes take place at the family’s 16th century farmhouse where you will learn true Provençal cooking, with all the little techniques and tips you could expect from a Michelin starred chef. The rustic farmhouse kitchen looks out onto a fantastically organised garden where Chef Bérard grows all his own vegetables and herbs. Taking a tour of the beautifully scented garden, he will show you how to choose the perfect vegetables, and how to marry the right ingredients together to create a dish that rings true of the sunshine filled flavours of Provence.

You will enjoy lunch from the dishes that you create in the morning with Chef Bérard, with afternoons spent visiting the gastronomic points of interests in the surrounding area. Visits to an olive oil mill, a winery (which is Chef Bérard’s personal favourite), and an Apiculturist, (to learn about bees and honey) will give you an all-encompassing understanding of the gastronomy of Provence. On market day, Chef Bérard will accompany you to shop in the flurry of noise, colour and scents that is a typical French market- you’ll notice how he makes his choices to carefully select the best that is on offer.

On the last afternoon there is a special tasting at Domaines Bunan. This historic family-run business has recently made great wines, with Laurent, the son of the original owner, returning to the family estate after completing his studies in winemaking in California. He is the first of the next generation to bring a newer and more modern approach of wines in the region.